Strengthening People Strategy, Organizational Culture, and Workforce Transformation Across One of America’s Largest Retailers
Kroger has announced the appointment of Emilee De Martino as its new Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, marking an important milestone in the company’s ongoing commitment to cultivating a people-first culture, advancing leadership excellence, and building a future-ready workforce. Bringing more than two decades of experience spanning retail, global quick-service restaurants, insurance, consulting, and financial services, Emilee joins Kroger with an exceptional track record of transforming organizations through strategic human capital leadership.
Throughout her career, she has successfully aligned business strategy with people strategy, helping organizations navigate large-scale transformation, strengthen employee engagement, accelerate leadership development, and build inclusive workplace cultures. Her appointment reinforces Kroger’s dedication to investing in its associates while supporting innovation, operational excellence, and sustainable business growth.
Leading Kroger’s People Strategy
As Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, Emilee De Martino will oversee Kroger’s comprehensive human resources strategy, including talent acquisition, leadership development, organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, employee engagement, culture transformation, diversity and inclusion, and people experience initiatives.
Her leadership will focus on:
- Developing future-ready workforce strategies
- Enhancing employee engagement and workplace culture
- Strengthening leadership development across the enterprise
- Driving organizational transformation initiatives
- Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion programs
- Modernizing talent management practices
- Building scalable people capabilities that support long-term business success
Her extensive experience leading complex, global organizations positions her to help Kroger continue evolving as one of the industry’s most admired employers.
Driving Global People Strategy at McDonald’s
Before joining Kroger, Emilee spent more than eight years at McDonald’s, where she held several increasingly senior leadership positions and played a critical role in shaping the company’s global people agenda.
Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer, International Markets, leading human capital strategy across multiple international business units.
In this executive role, she partnered with senior leadership to:
- Build high-performing global teams
- Enhance employee experience across international markets
- Develop leadership capabilities
- Support organizational agility
- Align workforce strategies with business priorities
- Strengthen culture during periods of transformation
Her leadership helped reinforce McDonald’s commitment to people development while supporting business growth across diverse global markets.
Vice President, Center HR & People Experience
Prior to becoming Chief People Officer for International Markets, Emilee served as Vice President, Center HR & People Experience, where she focused on creating engaging employee experiences, modernizing HR practices, and supporting organizational effectiveness initiatives.
She worked to integrate innovative HR solutions that enhanced employee satisfaction while improving operational efficiency.
Vice President, People Strategy & Alignment
As Vice President, People Strategy & Alignment, she played an instrumental role in connecting enterprise strategy with workforce planning, ensuring talent priorities supported evolving business objectives.
Her work strengthened organizational alignment and positioned HR as a strategic business partner.
Senior Director, Strategic Planning & PMO
Earlier at McDonald’s, Emilee led strategic planning and enterprise project management initiatives that supported business transformation, operational execution, and organizational change.
This experience deepened her expertise in aligning long-term strategy with execution excellence.
Building Culture and Leadership at CNA Insurance
Before joining McDonald’s, Emilee spent seven years with CNA Insurance, where she held executive HR leadership roles focused on talent, culture, and organizational effectiveness.
Vice President, Change & Culture
As Vice President, Change & Culture, she led initiatives across:
- Talent management
- Employee engagement
- Leadership development
- Organizational change management
- Cultural transformation
She partnered with business leaders to strengthen organizational capabilities while helping employees navigate periods of significant change.
AVP, Leadership Development & Talent Management
In this role, Emilee designed and implemented enterprise leadership development strategies that included:
- Executive coaching
- Leadership assessments
- Talent review processes
- Learning strategy
- Employee engagement initiatives
- Enterprise learning systems
- Social and mobile learning platforms
Her efforts created sustainable leadership pipelines and strengthened succession planning across the organization.
Strategic Consulting at Mercer
As an Organization Strategy & Change Management Principal at Mercer, Emilee advised organizations across multiple industries on aligning human capital strategy with business transformation.
Her consulting expertise included:
- Organizational strategy
- Change management
- Governance design
- Merger integration
- Organizational alignment
- Leadership engagement
- Strategic planning
- Process redesign
- Program management
She supported organizations operating in sectors including healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, technology, telecommunications, government, energy, agriculture, and consumer industries.
This broad cross-industry experience provided her with a unique perspective on organizational transformation and business strategy.
Early Career in Organizational Consulting
Earlier in her career, Emilee worked as an Organization Strategy Consultant at Accenture, where she gained valuable experience helping organizations improve operational effectiveness through strategic consulting and transformation initiatives.
She began her professional journey in Commercial Lending at Commerce Bank, building a strong understanding of financial operations, business processes, and client management that continues to inform her executive leadership approach.
A Career Defined by People-Centered Leadership
Across every stage of her career, Emilee De Martino has consistently demonstrated that organizational success begins with investing in people.
Her professional progression reflects continuous leadership growth:
- Commercial Lending
- Organization Strategy Consultant
- Change Management Principal
- Leadership Development Executive
- Vice President, Change & Culture
- Strategic Planning Leader
- Vice President, People Strategy
- Vice President, People Experience
- Senior Vice President & Chief People Officer
- Executive Vice President & Chief People Officer
Each role has expanded her expertise in organizational transformation, leadership development, talent strategy, employee experience, and enterprise culture.
Helping Organizations Thrive Through Transformation
Today’s organizations face unprecedented workforce evolution driven by digital transformation, changing employee expectations, globalization, and rapid technological innovation.
Emilee’s leadership philosophy emphasizes:
- People-first leadership
- Organizational agility
- Leadership excellence
- Inclusive workplace cultures
- Continuous learning
- Employee engagement
- Strategic workforce planning
- Business alignment through talent
Her ability to connect people strategy with enterprise performance has made her a trusted executive leader capable of guiding organizations through complex change while maintaining a strong focus on employee success.
Looking Ahead at Kroger
As Kroger continues investing in innovation, customer experience, and operational excellence, building a resilient and engaged workforce remains a strategic priority.
With Emilee De Martino joining the executive leadership team, the organization gains a seasoned HR executive whose experience spans global retail, consulting, financial services, and organizational transformation. Her expertise will support Kroger’s efforts to strengthen leadership capabilities, foster an inclusive workplace culture, and create meaningful experiences for associates across the enterprise.
Her appointment signals Kroger’s commitment to ensuring that people remain at the center of its long-term growth strategy.
CXO Gateway Congratulates Emilee De Martino
CXO Gateway congratulates Emilee De Martino on her appointment as Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Kroger.
Her remarkable journey–from organizational strategy consulting and leadership development to leading global people functions for one of the world’s most recognized brands–demonstrates the power of purpose-driven leadership, strategic vision, and a deep commitment to empowering people.
We wish her continued success as she leads Kroger’s people strategy and helps shape the future of workforce excellence, organizational culture, and leadership development in the retail industry.